The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1906)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 9 NEWS ITEMS FROM THE-TWIN CITIES. Mid-Summer Trade Better Than Expected — Dyer Enlarging Tall<ing IVlachine Department — Splendid Report from Minnesota Phonograph Co. — Kohler & Heinrichs, Edison and Victor Jobbers — Other Items. I Special to Tlie Talking Machine World.) Minneapolis and St. Paul, Aug. 8, 1906. The mid-summer trade in talking machines has been tetter than expected, and results for July show a decided improvement over a year ago. W. J. Dyer & Bro. repori: this department of their music business as showing the largest increase this year of any of their other departments, and are quite enthusiastic over the prospects for this fall. They have brought the department down from the fourth to the first floor, and it will occupy the space formerly occupied by the offices. The Minnesota Phonograph Co. report an extremely good month in jobbing both Edison and Victor goods. At their St. Paul store, an excellent retail trade for July in Edison goods was reported. The Victor end, however, was light, as it is only recently this companj began pushingVictor machines. At the Minneapolis store, Mr. Low^ey, the manager, reported larger sales in July than during the preceding two or three months. The demand was mostly for Victor records and machines. L. H. Lucker, the president of the Minnesota Phonograph Co., who went East last month, accompanied by his brother, W. A. Lucker, is again at the helm. Kohler & Heinrichs, large fancy store in St. Paul, took hold of the Victor and Edison machines last week as jobbers. This firm was originally the first jobber of Victor goods in St. Paul. Wiliam Donaldson & Co., of Minneapolis, who run the largest department store in that city, report better results in July than any previous month this year. Nearly all makes of machines can be found in their talking machine department. T. C. Hough, handling the Edison and Zonophone, reports a fine business at all three of his stores, with a big increase over last year. A good, steady trade in records during July was reported at the Victor department in the New England Furniture Co.'s store. The sale of machines, however, was not so large, but consisted of a good grade. Good average results were reported by both stores run by the Columbia people. GRAPHOPHONE PARK CONCERTS. Aldermen Divided Over Question of Replacing Band With Large Talking Machine. (Special to The Talkins Machine World.) Bridgeport, Conn., July 31, 1906. The Columbia Phonograph Co., of this city, have a giant machine which, they assert, will emit more real music than the loudest brass band ever organized. Band concerts are given frequently in Bridgeport's parks, and the company have offered one of the machines in place of a military band and applied to the Board of Aldermen for permission to give concerts. News of this became public, and while part of the population of Bridgeport protested, many are in favor of its use. The vote at the Aldermanic meeting was half for and ha.f against. Of course, the members of the Musicians' Union are "agin it." They are afraid there will be no summer jobs if a gigantic graphophone is placed in the parks. NOT LOADED DOWN WITH DETAILS. "TALKER" AS PEACEMAKER Brings Joy Into the Home and Knits Some Broken Hearts. The role of peacemaker is among the latest assumed by the ever useful talking machine, and the scene of action is given as a small town not far from Chicago. The characters were a lovelorn traveling man and the idol of his heart. The young lady broke off the engagement just previous to the time for the wedding, to the consternation of the would-te Benedict. The day upon which the ceremony was to have been performed he called up the girl to announce the fact that Heaven was his home, and that he was going there by the pistol route. This information did not melt the young lady's heart, so he procured a talking machine, placed it in front of the telephone, and ground out, "I'm Trying So Hard to Forget You." Sweetheart still refused to become reconciled, but took occasion to notify the town marshal regarding the young man's threats. The officer reached the hotel just in time to prevent the suicide and friends, citing the touching verses of the ballad and the virtues of the distressed gentleman, prevailed upon the lady to consent to the wedding, to the inexpressible delight of the traveling man. SOME WINDOW DONT'S. Don't slight the windows. Don't let the glass become dirty. Don't depend too much o'.. fixtures. Don't neglect the upper part of the window. Don't stick to one style of trimming. Branch out. Don't skimp on elbow grease in cleaning the .glass. Don't wait till a trim is fly-specked before changing it. Don't overlook the utility of a certain number of fixtures. Don't be afraid to try something new in the way of display. Don't let the window stand too long. One week or two is about the limit. Don't be afraid to spend a little money on the trim. It will come back. Don't fail to call the local newspaper's attention to each nice trim that you make. Don't prolong the trimming unnecessarily. A quick change will impress the public more. Don't try to do too much. Better a simple trim changed often than an elaborate one that stands a month. Does It Pay Not to Know All Details of One's Business? — Leading Jobber Says It Does. One of the leading jobbers of the United States wai conversing with a business caller the othejday, who asked him about a certain transaction v/hich had recently occurred between the concerns that the two represented. "I do not know anything about it." said the jobber, "but I will take pleasure in looking it up, and letting you know." After the caller had left a business friend who was present, said to the jobber: "Could you afford to confess that there was anything connected with this establishment that you did not know all about?" "I not only could afford to confess it," was the answer, "but I regard it as a mark of good business judgment, which has been fortified by all of my experience and observation, for the head of a concern not to know any more about the details than he has to. It is his business to lay out the general plans, and to select men to carry the' same into execution, and he certainly can perform both of these duties to far greater advantage i;' his mind is not encumbered all the time with a mass of details, which he has selected other men to look after, and which they certainly are as competent to care for as he is himself. The mind that is overloaded with all the petty transactions of a business concern has no room for inception, originality, or that calm and constant reflection which produces new ideas, and enables the gray matter of one's brain to do the best work of which it is capable." SECTIONAL RECORD CABINET To be Placed on the Market by the Blackman Talking Machine Co. — Providence Firm Assigns Record Brush to Blackman Co. Rogers & Forsell, of Providence. R. I., who have been selling and manufacturing a record brush similar to the Place record brush sold by the Blackman Talking Machine Co., have assigned to them all of their claims on these articles and will cease selling and manufacturing them. The Blackman Talking Machine Co. are about to put on the market a novelty in the way of a sectional record cabinet, similar to the sectional book cases now in such general use. As a matter of fact, these are being built in part for records with a sectional book case part, so that it may serve a manifold purpose. These will be built both for private house and dealers' use. In speaking of talking machine cabinets, Mr. Blackman says that they have just secured a carload of new styles in carved mahogany, which are designed to retail from $40 to ?100, which they will have ready for delivery by the middle of this month. Theodore F. Bentel and wife, of Pittsburg, Pa., are recuperating in the invigorating air of Springfield, Mass., the guests of E. A. Hawthorne. Buy from Headquarters We manufacture all styles of cases for all makes of machines. Carrying these goods in stock we can make prompt shipment. Our quality is the best — our prices are right. Ask for our Catalogue. Chicago Case Mfg, Co. I4'2-144 W. Washington St CHICAGO